2015 Outlook: Now 27 years old, Price has stepped into the franchise goaltender tag we thought he had already earned. As it turns out, he was just getting started. He showed his ability to be the best against the best, with a 0.59 goals-against average during the Olympics. Then, he showed his ability to steal a series for his team in the playoffs. Price put up phenomenal statistics in net and pushed himself into the conversation with Tuukka Rask and Jonathan Quick as the game's best fantasy netminder. He'll probably go before the second round is out in many fantasy drafts, but there are some small risks. The Habs had to make room for their up-and-coming defensemen, but nobody blocks shots quite like Josh Gorges did. His absence will have an impact on Price's numbers if Jarred Tinordi or Nathan Beaulieu aren't ready for prime-time ice time. - SA

2015 Outlook: Before you pencil in Pavelski for another 40-goal season, keep in mind the 30-year-old maintained the highest -- by a wide margin -- shooting percentage of players who registered more than 170 shots. To put Pavelski's 18.2 shooting percentage (on 227 shots) into perspective, the closest player to near that mark, Chris Kunitz of the Pittsburgh Penguins, enjoyed a 16.1 shooting percentage on 221 shots. We're talking about a difference of over two percentage points here. This suggests the Sharks forward relished an exceptional goal-scoring campaign in 2013-14, and is unlikely to repeat. Also, Pavelski has never reached the 40-goal mark before, in his eight-year career. So there's that too. – VM

2015 Outlook: A leg injury cut short yet another elite regular season from the offensive whirlwind that anchors the Blackhawks' second line. Kane still managed 69 points in 69 games, as he has more than settled into his role to make the Hawks' second line better than it might be viewed on paper. Playing with linemates like Brandon Saad, Andrew Shaw, Kris Versteeg and Michal Handzus while Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa and Patrick Sharp all hang out together on the top line doesn't even really seem fair. But Kane thrives with the role. The interesting news is that Brad Richards, although seemingly on the decline, still brings more to the table than Kane's linemates of recent seasons. This could help propel the 25-year-old Kane to dizzying new heights. We've argued for Kane to go in drafts in the early second round, but no one is going to fault you if you pick him sooner. - SA

2015 Outlook: If anyone on the Leafs' current roster is going to punch through the 90-point mark in a regular season, it will be Kessel. And such a notion isn't all that fanciful, especially with James van Riemsdyk as a linemate. Plus, Kessel's durability is underrated; he hasn't missed a game since 2008-09. - VM

2015 Outlook: Lundqvist's ratios in 2013-14 were a hair behind what we've come to expect. Then again, "just a hair behind what we've come to expect" from Lundqvist is still elite. Lundqvist was 14th in goals-against average and 15th in save percentage, but when you weed out the goaltenders with only half his workload, he becomes top 10 in both, along with the requisite high number of wins. The biggest battle you fight at the draft table for fantasy hockey is avoiding busts, and few goaltenders have a track record of nonfailure comparable to that of Lundqvist. King Henrik has started at least 75 percent of Rangers games going back eight seasons. He's still the King until someone dethrones him. Take him as a No. 1 fantasy goaltender and know you're secure in that department. - SA

2015 Outlook: Benn loved having Tyler Seguin as a linemate. Only the Toronto Maple Leafs' and Boston Bruins' top trios generated more goals at even strength last season than the combination of Benn, Seguin and Valeri Nichushkin. And you can look at Nichushkin's final totals to realize that the Benn-Seguin combination is what really matters. Improvement from Nichushkin can only help, but it doesn't need to happen for Benn to repeat as a star fantasy forward. He should go in your draft as a top-tier No. 2 fantasy forward and would make a nice one-two punch with Seguin in fantasy if the opportunity presented itself. - SA

2015 Outlook: Coveted for the on-ice company he keeps (see: Sidney Crosby), Kunitz probably doesn't get the full respect he deserves as an individual talent orfantasy asset. But who cares? Since joining the Penguins, the winger has averaged 0.81 points per regular-season game. At 34 years old, he doesn't seem to be slowing down; Kunitz scored more goals (35) in 2013-14 than ever before. - VM

2015 Outlook: The Wild are still looking for Parise to hit that extra gear that makes him a dangerous point-per-game sniper in the NHL. Now three seasons removed from his knee surgery and two seasons removed from the New Jersey Devils, we wonder if Parise still has that extra gear. We are going to find out this season, for sure. The Wild have added free agent Thomas Vanek, which will give Parise an elite winger to complement him on the other side of Mikko Koivu. The trio could prove to be a deadly combination, and Vanek's finishing skills should be enough to push Parise back toward the elite level that he maintained prior to his knee surgery. If he can't score a point per game in this situation, it's a sign that Parise simply doesn't have that gear anymore. - SA

2015 Outlook: The number of elite seasons already turned in by Kopitar is quite incredible. Considering that he just turned 27 years old, he has to be considered one of the brightest young stars in the game. The consistency for fantasy owners still isn't there 100 percent, but Kopitar only had one "off" month all season in 2013-14, so he's getting close. He has the talent to be putting in more than 80 points per season, but it's hard to be disappointed with 70 points, an elite plus/minus and more than enough shots on goal. It will be interesting to see if Marian Gaborik can push Kopitar back into the stratosphere. The pair finished extremely strong this past regular season, and then dominated the playoffs together. - SA

2015 Outlook: For a team built from the blue line out, it's no surprise to see Weber as the Predators' top fantasy asset. Weber plays a ton of minutes, can approach 20 goals from the point, has power-play production through the roof and is defensively sound to round out the total package. With the skilled Roman Josi roaming the ice beside him, Weber reached new heights in 2013-14 with a ridiculous total of 23 goals. Don't expect that kind of performance again, but the 50 points are more than a reasonable expectation. Also, with a healthy Pekka Rinne tending twine, look for an improved plus/minus from Weber to increase his overall value. Erik Karlsson is the best fantasy defenseman, but Weber is in the argument for second best. - SA

2015 Outlook: A refreshing fruit salad of a player in the standard league fridge, Backes offers a little bit of everything, ranging from tart to sweet, to please your fantasy hockey palate. A respectable collection of points at even strength and with the man advantage, above-average PIM, healthy plus-minus, decent TOI average -- it's all in there. But, no one ingredient will blow you away (it's still only fruit salad). And that's OK. Look to draft Backes early in the third round in most conventional leagues. – VM

2015 Outlook: Things got ugly in the crease for the Predators last season after Rinne needed hip surgery. But all indications are that he is healthy and ready to roll for the 2014-15 season. Rinne returned for 15 games at the end of last season and was rounding into form by the end of the campaign, going 3-0-1 in his final four games. Rinne then won tournament MVP as he backstopped Finland to a silver medal at the IIHF World Championship. Seeing him back in elite form during the summer should be all a fantasy owner needs to buy in to the idea of Rinne rejoining the elite fantasy goaltenders this season. Rinne can steal games as well as any goaltender, and his job is made that much easier by the elite defensive group in front of him. You could do a lot worse for a No. 1 fantasy goaltender for your team. - SA

2015 Outlook: Say what you want about the other young Oilers players taking a step back in 2013-14, but Hall is a steady rock star for fantasy owners. He proved that he not only has point-per-game ability in the NHL, but he proved he can do it with his teammates all on a downward spiral. To put things in perspective, the top producing line for the Oilers last season was Hall, Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The second top producing trio? Well, that was Hall, Sam Gagner and David Perron. That's right, Hall was on the best and second-best line for his team. Fantasy owners should bank on continued elite scoring from Hall and be aware that he still hasn't peaked for value. With linemates back on track and an overall improved team defense, Hall could push into No. 2 fantasy forward territory this season; he's a lock as a No. 3 fantasy forward. - SA

2015 Outlook: We've heard the melancholic warnings about the Sedins slowing and breaking down as they enter their "golden years," but a 33-year-old Sedin is still worth more than most 25-year-old non-Sedins (as the old saying goes). And we're excited about watching Daniel (along with brother Henrik) respond to new coach Willie Desjardins, who reportedly aims to bring a fast-paced offense back to Vancouver. As long as Daniel remains healthy -- and that has become a legit concern of late -- he should see an increase in production across the board, particularly in the goal-scoring department. - VM

2015 Outlook: Technically speaking, Duchene hasn't posted a complete season that would put him as a No. 2 fantasy forward. However, let's not get too technical; this guy is amazing on the ice. Duchene can take over the game when he wants and is in an ideal situation to move into the elite tier of fantasy forwards. He'll pair, once again, with Ryan O'Reilly on a line that will feature a new member for the departed P.A. Parenteau. Because either player can play center, the new linemate could easily be a winger, such as, oh, let's say, legendary scorer Jarome Iginla. But even if Iginla is moved elsewhere, some of the other potential linemates include veteran playmaker Alex Tanguay or power forward Jamie McGinn. The upside of an improved power play helping to fuel Duchene's production makes him even more exciting. He'll be worth the use of a third-round draft choice. - SA